Chapter 112: Truffle Chicken Stew (Part 1)
The kitchen of Room 1601 was filled with an almost sacred, overbearing and complex aroma.
Zhao Chen was wearing an apron with a huge cartoon Shiba Inu printed on it, and gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. His expression was more solemn and focused than ever before.
In one hand, he held a long-handled wooden spoon, carefully stirring the bubbling and attractively colored soup in the casserole; in the other hand, he held a mobile phone, on the screen of which was an enlarged, extremely clear comparison picture of truffles and shiitake mushrooms!
"Color... dark brown, with warty bumps on the surface... The smell... overbearing and complex..." He muttered to himself, his eyes as sharp as a scalpel, repeatedly comparing the few precious black truffle slices floating in the pot with the high-definition picture stuck on the refrigerator door, as if he was conducting a species identification that was a matter of life and death.
"Well... this is definitely a truffle! One hundred percent! Not a mushroom!" He concluded decisively, his tone filled with a great sense of accomplishment as if he had conquered the Goldbach conjecture.
Yu Ling was wearing comfortable beige home clothes, sitting cross-legged on a high stool outside the open kitchen, holding the silver thermos cup printed with simple geometric lines, which was now warm.
She sipped the sweet and warm brown sugar ginger tea, watching her own "Chef Zhao" as he treated the truffles as an enemy and repeatedly checked the pictures with clumsy eyes. Her eyebrows curved and her smile was like melted honey, flowing from the bottom of her eyes to the corners of her lips.
The tranquility and warmth of surviving the catastrophe enveloped her gently, like the steam rising from a casserole. The false accusations, the mention of Gu Qianqian, seemed to be dispelled to a distant corner by the rich, fragrant aroma of fireworks.
“Ding Dong——”
The doorbell rang suddenly, breaking the warm tranquility.
Yu Ling and Zhao Chen were both stunned. Who could it be at this hour?
Zhao Chen frowned slightly, put down his wooden spoon, and subconsciously tried to open the door. But Yu Ling was quicker than him, putting down her thermos and hopping lightly off the stool.
"Let me go, Chef Zhao. Keep an eye on your truffles and don't let the mushrooms get in and take advantage of the situation." She joked with a smile, walking briskly towards the entrance.
Zhao Chen watched her back, his eyes darkening behind his gold-rimmed glasses, a faint trace of vigilance passing through them. He picked up the kitchen towel beside him and slowly wiped his hands, but his body turned slightly towards the entrance, listening attentively.
When Yu Ling saw the person standing outside the door through the access control video screen, the smile on her face froze instantly.
On the screen, Gu Qianqian was wearing an exquisitely tailored Chanel tweed suit, the latest model of the season, and a pearl necklace around her neck exuding a warm luster.
Her makeup was still impeccable, but her face showed a hint of paleness and fatigue that was hard to conceal. Deep in her eyes was a deep and unremovable resentment, but it was covered by a deliberately forced, pitiful weakness.
She held a bouquet of gorgeous white roses in her hand and had an impeccable social smile on her face, as if none of the dirty, life-and-death struggles had ever happened between them.
Yu Ling's heart sank! The familiar, reflexive pain in her stomach seemed to return. This woman, fresh out of the detention center, couldn't wait to come knocking on her door? What was she trying to do?
Taking a deep breath, Yu Ling suppressed the surging disgust and vigilance and pressed the call button: "Ms. Gu? Is there something wrong?" Her voice came through the access control, calm and without any emotion.
Outside the door, Gu Qianqian's smile instantly became more "sincere" and "guilty." Her voice came through the speaker, with a hint of just the right amount of sobs:
"Sister Yu Ling...it's me, Qianqian. I...I just got out and rushed over here as soon as possible. I came...I came to apologize to you! Really! I was bewildered before and did so many things that let you down...I...I know I was wrong! Please, give me a chance to apologize in person, okay? Just five minutes! Just five minutes!"
Her voice was tearful and sounded sincere and full of sincerity of "repentance".
Yu Ling remained silent, her fingertips gently caressing the cold access button. An apology? Gu Qianqian's apology? The probability of that happening was lower than the chance of mushrooms getting mixed up in a casserole! She was almost certain that beneath this bouquet of white roses lay a poisoned dagger.
However, refusing? It seemed like she, the victor, was being too stingy. Besides… she also wanted to see what other tricks Gu Qianqian could come up with.
“Click.”
With a slight sound, the heavy entrance door slowly opened a crack.
Yu Ling stood inside the door, not opening it completely, nor did she show any intention of inviting the other party in.
She was wearing simple home clothes and had no makeup on, forming a stark contrast to Gu Qianqian, who was dressed up outside the door, as if attending a socialite dinner. Her eyes were calm, with a condescending look:
"Ms. Gu, I received your apology. You don't need the gifts, please go back." Her eyes swept across the bouquet of dazzling white roses, her tone distant and cold.
The sincerity on Gu Qianqian's face froze for a moment, and the resentment in her eyes was almost suppressed. But she immediately adjusted her expression, took a step forward, and tried to squeeze through the crack in the door, her voice even more mournful:
"Sister Yu Ling! I know you hate me! You can hit me or scold me! But please give me a chance to say sorry in person! This bouquet of flowers is a little gift from me, representing my apology and blessings." She stuffed the huge bouquet of white roses into Yu Ling's arms without saying a word.
The rich floral scent mixed with Gu Qianqian's expensive perfume hit my face, carrying an aggressive sweetness.
Yu Ling subconsciously took a half step back, her brow furrowed, and she didn't reach out to take it. The bouquet of flowers hung awkwardly between them like a hot potato.
Just then—
"Lingling, who is it?" Zhao Chen's gentle voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
The moment Gu Qianqian heard this voice, it was like a shot of adrenaline! Her eyes suddenly lit up, and the false weakness on her face was instantly replaced by a complex light mixed with obsession, grievance, and strong possessiveness!
She even ignored Yu Ling who was blocking the door, stood on tiptoe, looked through the crack in the door, and accurately locked onto Zhao Chen who was walking out of the kitchen!
"Brother Chen!" Gu Qianqian's voice instantly rose eight octaves, with a kind of coquettishness and surprise that made one's scalp tingle, as if she had seen a relative who had been lost for many years!
She exerted force suddenly, and squeezed half of Yu Ling who was blocking the doorway away, and half of her body was inserted into the entrance. Her eyes were greedily and fixed on Zhao Chen, and her voice was filled with tears and infinite grievances:
"Brother Chen! It's me! Qianqian! I'm out! I...I'm here to apologize to Sister Yu Ling! Brother Chen, please help me plead for mercy and ask Sister Yu Ling to forgive me! I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!"
As she spoke, she tried to squeeze her entire body in, aiming directly at Zhao Chen!
Zhao Chen paused at the kitchen entrance. He still had that ridiculous cartoon Shiba Inu apron tied around his waist, and even held a wooden spoon with a little sauce in his hand.
Seeing the chaotic scene at the door, especially seeing Gu Qianqian's face full of falsehood and greed, the eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses instantly turned cold.
Yu Ling staggered due to Gu Qianqian's sudden brute force, and the pain in her stomach seemed to become more pronounced.
She steadied herself and looked at Gu Qianqian's disgusting posture of wagging her tail and begging for mercy to Zhao Chen, completely ignoring her. A surge of anger instantly rushed to her head!
"Miss Gu!" Yu Ling's voice suddenly turned cold. She took a step forward and reached out without hesitation, grabbing Gu Qianqian's arm as she tried to squeeze in! The force was so great that Gu Qianqian cried out in pain!
"This is my home! You're trespassing without permission. Do you want me to call the police again?" Yu Ling's eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring coldly at Gu Qianqian's instantly pale face.
"I have received your apology. Now, please leave immediately!"
"Brother Chen! Look at her!" Gu Qianqian was held by Yu Ling's arm, unable to move. She immediately turned to Zhao Chen, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice full of accusations and grievances:
"I just want to apologize! She treated me like this! Brother Chen, please take care of her!"
Zhao Chen's face darkened completely. He walked over, not paying attention to Gu Qianqian's pitiful performance. His eyes fell directly on the huge bouquet of white roses that Gu Qianqian had forced into Yu Ling's arms, and that Yu Ling had pushed away with disgust.
He reached out and pulled the annoying bunch of white roses out from the gap between the two people!
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